Leaving, A RAYxOC Friendship OneShot
by RockenRollTurtle
Summary: Ray Kon is having trouble dealing with his decision to leave the Bladebreakers and, long time best friend, Rei Elliot, while waiting for her flight back home, reassures him and helps him deal with his choice before, her herself, leaves.


**A/NJust a quick notice for all you fabulous readers, this one-shot was a request for my bestest friend Rei (who unfortunately doesn't have an ffnet account) around a year ago and JUST got around to remeber to do it. So here it is and I hope you like it Rei! ^^ This reminds me of us! Anywho, enjoy!**

_**--Info--**_

_**Title: Leaving**_

_**Author: Kia (a.k.a. RockenRollTurtle)**_

_**Time: Between V Force and G Rev**_

_**Setting: An Airport somewhere in China**_

_**Point of veiw: First person**_

_**Story: This is a friendship RAYxOC one-shot explaining how Rei Elliot, an American girl, helps her best friend, the Chinese boy Ray Kon, when he feels doubt about leaving the Bladebreakers for good, and how this advice helps him deal with having to let Rei go back to her home country.**_

**Leaving**

Airports are fairly crowded places, even the small ones. People are always on the move, going to places, seeing new things, never staying in the same place for long, begging the question of why they came here in the first place. Noice assaults my ears, recently turned pointed, and I sigh, looking down at the ground between my feet. 'Ever since that thing with Zeo the past month, things have been on edge in the Bladebreakers. Well, not Tyson. Poor guy just doesn't know what was comming for him. I feel guilty enough already, having decided to quit the team and rejoin the White Tigers, but now this? There is only so much I can take. What if I made the wrong decision after all? And I'm just going over my head? Lee, Mariah, Gary, and Kevin were more than happy to hear that I'm comming back, but will Tyson see that I'm just trying to be the best I can be? Max is leaving too, and I'm pretty sure Kai is thinking about it.....This is wrong. All wrong....I....I cant do this. I feel like I'm betraying Tyson's trust. Maybe I should just back out, but the guys will be so disappointed. Mariah will be heartbroken, and the others will just get angry. But what can I do? What should I do? I mean.........' A soft hand suddenly rests on my back, making slow, soothing strokes of comfort. I blink, clearing away my daze, and uncurl fists I hadn't realized I had clenched.

"Ray...."

I raise my eyes with some difficulty to meet worried, brown orbs.

"....you okay?" Rei asks, concern written on her face.

I give her a slight smile and sit up. Her hand falls back to her lap.

"I'm fine. Just thinking."

"About the tournament?" she inquires.

"Yeah."

Her eyes turn sympathetic for a moment.

"What are you worried about?" she asks as, through the window behind her, a large plane begins it run down the strip, preparing to take off.

"Nothing important."

Rei then turns accusing.

"Your a bad liar Ray, you know that?"

I couldn't help but laugh. She could see right through me sometimes.

"I guess so...." I drag on, still not wishing to give myself up.

No luck on getting away without insident here. Rei just knew me too well.

"Are you reconsidering your choice about leaving the Bladebreakers?"

Cutting straight to the chase, huh? No escape now....

"Kinda...." I evade, staring down at the floor agian.

There layed a thoughtful quiet between us, though common airport noice kept our conversation from being completely silent. But I could still think to a degree. Rei is probably the best friend I have ever had, better than the Bladebreakers or the White Tigers even, and I trusted her with everything I had.

"It's just....I'm not sure that this is the right thing to do." I finally spill out, twirling my fingers. "I mean, Tyson trusts us, trusts me, and leaving the Bladebreakers....It's like I'm betraying him, ya know? All I want is to improve my skill, to get better, stronger, and this seemed like the best way to go. I just dont know if Tyson will forgive me."

Guilt makes my throat close a little and the thoughtful quiet returns. Rei taps her fingers on her suitcase.

"You've known Tyson for a long time, right?" comes her answer finally.

Her response catches me off guard.

"Well, yeah. About three years. Why?"

"Do you think you know him pretty well then?"

"What are you trying to get at, Rei?"

Rei sighs, then looks back up at me.

"What I'm trying to get through to you is that if Tyson is really the type of guy you tell me about, and if you have known him for as long as you say you have, then there is no problem with you leaving." Rei explains easily, as if she was talking to a preschooler.

"You dont get it!" I raise my voice, anger pulsating through me. "That's the problem!"

Rei waits as I gather my thoughts.

"I've known him for too long to just drop him off like this. I can guess exactly how he will take the idea of me and Max leaving the team, and it's not pretty. He'll hate us."

Rei blinks, unflustered by my outburst. I can see my slitted yellow eyes reflected in her brown ones.

"Of course he's going to hate you Ray, for a little while."

Agian, her response catches me off guard, and I blink, confused.

"I dont understand." I say, truthfully.

Rei smiles and turns to look out the window behind her, pushing her long dark brown wavy hair behind her ear.

"What else do you expect Ray? For Tyson to just stand up and cheer you on?" She says sarcastically, then pauses, casting her gaze to watch a mother with her little girl interact in the seating area by the window across from us. "No one is going to be happy when their friends leave. I'd be worried if they were. But, the point is, is that Tyson has every reason to be upset. It's hard. And he isn't going to readily forgive you at first. But friends stick together, and support eachother through thick and thin. If Tyson is your friend, he'll forgive you and understand your choice no matter what."

Rei was right, and I know it.

"But it still hurts." I state, causing her to turn and look at me.

"Well duh." she says, shaking her head, then smiles. "Your just sensitive like that."

I chuckle, falling into her trap.

"I am, aren't I?"

Rei 'yeps' and nods, causing me to smile. She always knew how to keep me in high spirits, which is why I probably feel closer to her than anyone. Rei knows me like the back of her hand, and can find the right thing to say at the right time. She's even minded, understanding, and on more than one occasion, people of my village had acctually mistaken us for long lost family members. I could see why. I always hear that everyone in the world has a twin somewhere, and I guess I found mine. Both of your names are Rey, just with alternate spellings, we both have long, dark hair, easy going personalities....Not saying that we're EXACTLY the same, but we get pretty close. It's actually quite nice, to have someone like you to talk to. She understands me and helps me when I need it, and I understand and help her when she needs it. Like inseperable siblings.....

"United Airlines flight 533 boarding. United Airlines flight 533 boarding."

.....Siblings finally being taken apart for the first time.

"Come on Ray." Rei urges, standing and wrapping a hand around her luggage's handle. "I gotta go."

With newfound reluctancy, I follow her order. Stand, grab her bags, and follow her silently as she leads the way to find her terminal. With each step, my feet and heart seem to grow heavier, my former lighthearted feelings now gone. 'Maybe this is how Tyson will feel when he finds out.' I couldn't help but think. It sure felt like it, having an elephant of sadness hanging from a rope above my head, ready to crush me when the moment came to cut the line. This type of mindset made the small two and a half minute walk to Rei's terminal seem like two and a half hours. All the while, I couldn't help but notice her look, or lack of, concern and worry on her face. Did she not feel pained by leaving at all?

"This is it." she brakes in, stopping me infront of the terminal, ever present stotic guard on stand. "533, my plane back home."

"Yeah...." I back up, handing her her bags. "You got them all?"

She nods.

"I can make it. Their not that heavy anyway." Rei replies, slinging a bag over each shoulder. "Thanks for staying here with me. Kept me from dying of bordem..."

I failed to laugh at her lame joke, my elephant dangling closer to my head. Rei must have caught the distress in my lack of response, and looks up at me.

"Dont be sad Ray. I'll be comming back soon."

Her reassurance doesn't help much.

"Ray..." she pleades, eyes growing dispairing.

I can't bare to look at her, and instead turn my gaze downward. The elephant slips a little more.

"I'm just gonna miss you." I choke out, struggling to keep my voice even.

"I'm gonna miss you too, but I have to go."

When I dont answer, she sighs, lays down her bags, and places her hands on my shoulders.

"Ray. Look at me." she commands and, with nothing else to combat her, I incline.

"Is this really the way you want me to remember seeing you? All depressed and emo and crap? Your acting like someone died or something." she says in dead seriousness.

Agianst my will, I fall again into her trap, and the tiniest smile plays across my face. Her expression was priceless. My positive action inturn spawned a positive reaction in Rei, and she smiled, standing up on her tippy toes, and pats me on the head like a dog.

"Now! Isn't that better!!!" she says in a high pitched voice, causing me to laugh.

"It is." I reply, and I feel the dangling elephant of dispair assent a couple feet.

She nods, looking very proud at what she accomplished.

"Told you so. You should listen to me more."

Before I could reply, an announcement breaks in, calling for last minute passangers to hurry up and board.

"Alright Ray, you've stalled me long enough. If I miss my flight, you will have hell to pay." she states, once again, tossing bags of her her shoulders.

"Okay, Okay. I'll let you leave." I joke. "Just promise me you'll visit sometime soon."

"Well of course. What kind of person do you think I am? Kai?" she replies, making a weird, discusted face at her bashing comment on my former team mate.

I laugh again, knowing full well it was, in the broad sense, true, then step forward and wrap my arms around her in embrace.

"I'm going to miss you Rei." I say softly into her ear as she returns the act.

"Me too." she whispers, then after a long moment, lets go.

"I'll catch you later!" she calls, grabbing her suitcase, then turns and walks down the terminal, disappearing from sight.

A tiny stab of pain struck my chest then, and another one struck deeper once I watched her plane fly off into the distance, making it's long trek back to the America's. But I wont let that stop me, not after what she had said. I will stay strong and confident, and I'll go compete in the world championships knowing that she, Tyson, Max, and Kai are behind me all the way. I have friends whom I can count on, even if they are far away, they are still there, watching and supporting me. I smile to myself, reenergized, turn, and walk away from the terminal.

**A/NOkay, how was that for my first ever one-shot? Actually, I am quite pleased with how this one turned out. You guys will come to understand that I am not big on fluff (OMG I LOVE YOU! MARRY ME AND BEAR MY CHILDEREN!) kind of stuff as much as I love close I'll-pat-your-back friendship stuff. I hope this fits that bill and is still enjoyable to read! Please review and tell me how it was and what I need to improve on. Constructive critisizm is VERY welcome. ^^ Anywho, thankies! Chao!**


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